China has confirmed that its one-year suspension of export controls on rare earth elements will extend to the European Union, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said Saturday. The agreement to delay implementation of Beijing’s latest export restrictions followed a Thursday meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
“China confirmed that the suspension of the October export controls applies to the EU,” Šefčovič wrote on X Saturday morning. “Both sides reaffirmed commitment to continue engagement on improving the implementation of export control policies,” he added.
Beijing tightened export controls earlier this month on rare earths and other critical minerals used in clean-tech and defense applications, prompting the EU—which depends on China for nearly 99 percent of its rare earth supply—to push for assurances that the suspension would cover European companies. In Rome on Friday, Šefčovič said high-level talks on export controls are already underway and that he plans to meet again soon with his Chinese counterpart.
Šefčovič also outlined plans for an EU-wide joint procurement mechanism for critical raw materials. “We can do the bidding on behalf of the biggest trading bloc in the world, which is the European Union, and get critical raw materials at a better price,” he said.
China’s export restrictions have disrupted supply chains and driven up prices for European manufacturers. In response, the European Commission has worked to secure alternative sources of rare earth magnets and aims to diversify its supply chain by year-end. “The EU welcomed China’s 12-month suspension of the relevant export controls published on October 9, 2025,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said, calling it a responsible step toward maintaining stable global trade flows in a critically important sector.
Meanwhile, the White House released a fact sheet detailing the broader U.S.-China trade agreement. According to the document, China will lift export restrictions on a range of critical minerals, halt exports of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, and resume shipments of key automotive semiconductors. The pact also includes general licenses for exporting rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite to benefit U.S. end users and their global suppliers.
G7 ministers have also moved to coordinate their response to China’s dominance in critical minerals, signing numerous supply-chain deals under a new pact aimed at reducing reliance on a single supplier.
Source: Politico
